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In-Demand Jobs in British Columbia in 2023

Updated: January 13th, 2023


British Columbia (B.C.) is Canada’s westernmost province, bordered by the United States. The famous city of Vancouver, situated in B.C., is known as Canada’s very own ‘Silicon Valley’ where technology and innovation meet. A high standard of living, a low crime rate, and competitive wages characterize the province. Communities in B.C. are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, with immigrants accounting for approximately 27% of the population. 

There are lots of fun and exciting things to do and famous attractions in the province, like Stanley Park, Whistler Ski Resort, and Capilano Suspension Bridge. Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia feature in the Top 20 Best Universities list in Canada and are top choices for thousands of international students every year. B.C. has a diverse range of low and high-skilled in-demand jobs available for foreign nationals who want to immigrate to Canada through the British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program. 

How Does the British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (BC PNP) Work?

Tech worker sitting at desk | in-demand jobs in Canada

The BC PNP is a way for high-demand foreign workers to gain permanent residency in B.C. There are four immigration streams under the BC PNP that you can apply through to receive a Provincial Nomination if your job is in demand in Canada. The type of occupations in demand in the province are healthcare professionals, tech workers, truck drivers, food processors, and other low-skilled jobs. Find out if your occupation features in one of the immigration streams below:

BC PNP Streams
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Category
British Columbia Tech Pilot
Healthcare Professional Category
Express Entry BC - Skilled Worker

Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Category

British Columbia welcomes semi-skilled foreign nationals with in-demand jobs in Canada’s tourism, hospitality, long-haul trucking, food processing, and other low-skill industries to immigrate to Canada through the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled categories. To qualify for the category, you must obtain a full-time job offer from an employer in British Columbia, amongst other requirements. 

The in-demand jobs in Canada under this category are the following: 

Occupations In-demand List

NOC Code Occupation
30010 Managers in healthcare
31100 Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
31101 Specialists in surgery
31102 General practitioners and family physicians
31110 Dentists
31112 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
31120 Pharmacists
31121 Dietitians and nutritionists
31200 Psychologists
31201 Chiropractors
31202 Physiotherapists
31203 Occupational therapists
31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
31300 Nursing coordinators and supervisors
31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
31302 Nurse practitioners
31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
32101 Licensed practical nurses
32102 Paramedical occupations
32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
32110 Denturists
32111 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
32112 Dental technologists and technicians
32120 Medical laboratory technologists
32121 Medical radiation technologists
32122 Medical sonographers
32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
32124 Pharmacy technicians
32129 Other medical technologists and technicians
32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
41300 Social workers
41301 Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies
42201 Social and community service workers

British Columbia Tech Pilot

British Columbia is Canada’s tech capital, with a high demand for skilled workers who are innovative and educated. To apply to the Tech Pilot, you must have a valid job offer from a British Columbian employer for at least one year.

The 29 in-demand jobs in British Columbia under the Tech Pilot are the following:   

British Columbia Tech Pilot

NOC Code Eligible Occupations
0131 Telecommunication carriers managers
0213 Computer and information systems managers
0512 Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
NOC Code Eligible Occupations
2132 Mechanical engineers
2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
2134 Chemical engineers
2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
2172 Database analysts and data administrators
2173 Software engineers and designers
2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
2175 Web designers and developers
2221 Biological technologists and technicians
2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
2242 Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
2281 Computer network technicians
2282 User support technicians
2283 Information systems testing technicians
NOC Code Eligible Occupations
5121 Authors and writers
5122 Editors
5125 Translators, terminologists and interpreters
5224 Broadcast technicians
5225 Audio and video recording technicians
5226 Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
5227 Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts
5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
NOC Code Eligible Occupations
6221 Technical sales specialists - wholesale trade

Care Economy: Health and Childcare Occupations

British Columbia needs more healthcare professionals. In-demand jobs in Canada under this category include physicians, nurses, and clinical pharmacists. To qualify to immigrate to Canada through one of the Care Economy Health and Childcare Occupation streams, you must have the support or a full-time job offer from a public health authority and at least two years of relevant work experience. There are two streams under this category:

  1. Care Economy: Healthcare Occupations
  2. Care Economy: Childcare occupations

The in-demand jobs in Canada under these streams are the following:

Healthcare Occupations
NOC CODE Eligible Occupations
0311 Managers in healthcare
3011  Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3111 Specialist physicians
3112 General practitioners and family physicians
3113 Dentists
3122 Chiropractors
3124 Allied primary health practitioners
3125 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
3131 Pharmacists
3132  Dietitians and nutritionists
3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
3142 Physiotherapists
3143  Occupational therapists
3144 Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
3211 Medical laboratory technologists
3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
3215 Medical radiation technologists
3216 Medical sonographers
3217 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c.
3219 Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
3221 Denturists
3222 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
3223 Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants
3232  Practitioners of natural healing
3233 Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants
3223 Licensed practical nurses
3234  Paramedical occupations
3237 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
3411 Dental assistants
3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates*
4151 Psychologists
4152 Social workers
4153 Family, marriage and other related counsellors
4212 Social and community service workers
Childcare occupations
NOC CODE
Eligible Occupations
4214  Early childhood educators and assistants

Other priority occupations
NOC CODE
Eligible Occupations
3114 Veterinarians
3213 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians

Express Entry BC - Skilled Worker

Express Entry BC is a fast way for skilled foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada. To qualify for an Express Entry nomination, you must create an Express Entry profile, obtain a job offer, and have at least two years of work experience in skill type A, O, or B.

The in-demand jobs in Canada under this category are broad and therefore classified under three skill types, namely; Jobs in Management (O), Professional Jobs (A), and Technical Jobs or Skilled Trades (B): 

Express Entry BC - Skilled Worker
Skill Type Example Occupations (NOC)
O - Jobs in Management Positions NOC 0111 Financial managers
A - Professional Jobs NOC 3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
B - Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades NOC 7251 Plumber

If your job is in-demand in British Columbia and you want to immigrate to Canada through one of the immigration streams mentioned above, you’re on the right track. There are numerous options; if you are committed to living in BC but your occupation isn't in demand, you could consider studying in the province while working in a semi-skilled job that is in demand until you graduate and take the next step in your career. Discover your eligibility or calculate your Express Entry CRS Score here.

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